United Nations

James Estrin/The New York Times

News about United Nations, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 30, 2015

United Nations 2015 revision report indicates India’s population is growing rapidly and will surpass China by 2022, six years earlier than noted in 2013 forecast; report also estimates that world’s population, currently at 7.3 billion, will rise to 9.6 billion by 2050 and could reach 11.2 billion by end of century. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Russia blocks United Nations Security Council resolution, obstructing formation of tribunal to prosecute those responsible for destroying of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 and angering nations whose citizens died in wreck; says resolution was propaganda move to implicate Kremlin-backed Ukrainian separatists controlling eastern Ukraine; jetliner was destroyed while flying over Ukrainian area annexed by pro-Russian separatists. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Special United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura introduces new effort to restart peace talks to end Syria’s civil war, saying range of Syrians will be invited to join preparatory discussions on how to proceed after four years of ravaging war. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

United Nations Security Council will vote on draft resolution creating tribunal to prosecute culprits responsible for July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17; speculation regarding crash, which killed all 298 people on board, is that missile launched by pro-Russia separatists destroyed aircraft flying over Eastern Ukraine; Russia is expected to block resolution. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen Martin E Dempsey, who is stepping down from his post on Oct 1, urges United Nations member states to increase their commitments to its global peacekeeping forces and expresses concern over wars and violent upheavals around the world. MORE

Jul. 28, 2015

United Nations electoral observers condemn presidential election in Burundi, noting restrictions on news media and curtailed freedom of expression and assembly. MORE

Jul. 23, 2015

United Nations deputy high commissioner for human rights Flavia Pansieri resigns for health reasons; Pansieri, most senior UN official informed about alleged sexual abuse of several Central African Republic boys by French peacekeepers, has been blasted for her inaction and mishandling of case. MORE

Jul. 23, 2015

Editorial decries Russia's move to have United Nations play larger role in investigation of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which many suspect was shot down in 2014 by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine with a Russian missile; argues that ploy is intended to provide Russia greater leverage to interfere with inquiry and disguise its involvement. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

United Nations World Food Program ship arrives in Yemen’s southern port of Aden bearing 3,000 metric tons of food, one month supply for 180,000 people; much needed aid ship is first to arrive as prior attempts were blocked by four-month-old military campaign to quell Houthi-led government insurrection. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

United Nations Security Council unanimously votes to lift sanctions on Iran in accordance with recently-negotiated nuclear deal; resolution, which affects UN sanctions but not those imposed by United States or European Union, angers Israel and sets stage for battle in US Congress; European Union approves deal in first step toward lifting its own sanctions MORE

Jul. 20, 2015

Sec of State John Kerry argues during talks in Vienna that United Nations Security Council should not be allowed to vote on lifting sanctions on Iran until after United States Congress has reviewed nuclear deal; argument is rejected by Iran, Russia and United States' European allies, complicating efforts by Kerry and Pres Obama to secure support for deal among Democrats. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

United Nations Security Council is expected to unanimously endorse nuclear agreement with Iran, move that will grant body increased momentum in Middle Eastern affairs; questions remain over deal's capacity to stabilize region; supporters say it will reduce underlying tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, while critics argue that it will only make them worse. MORE

Jul. 14, 2015

Houthi forces fire on oil refinery in Aden, Yemen, hitting storage tanks and starting large fire; United Nations-brokered cease-fire, meant to allow delivery of aid, was foiled by Saudi Arabia, which did not recognize truce and continued airstrikes against Houthis. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

United Nations issues warning that Greece and its Balkan neighbors are being overwhelmed by large number of migrants fleeing Syria and other conflict areas; UN calls on European countires to do more to avert humanitarian crisis, particularly given economic crisis in Greece. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

Letter From The Middle East; Robert Turner, departing Gaza director of United Nations Relief and Works Agency, explains why he is optimistic Israel-Palestinian conflict can be peacefully resolved. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

United Nations says fighting between Saudi-led military forces battling to restore Yemen’s exiled government and Houthi insurgents will pause so humanitarian aid can be delivered. MORE

Jul. 9, 2015

United Nations reports that over four million Syrians have fled into neighboring countries to escape civil war, creating biggest refugee population from single conflict in a generation; UN official warns that international aid is failing to keep pace with crisis and many refugees are sliding deeper into poverty. MORE

Jul. 7, 2015

Part of final United Nations report on the successes and failures of the Millennium Development Goals finds severe poverty worldwide has fallen sharply in past 15 years; report confirms global efforts to improve lives of poor have saved millions of people, but it is not known what role Millennium Goals played overall; findings are likely to figure in summer debates over UN's next set of development goals, to be adopted by September. MORE

Jul. 7, 2015

United Nations panel finds information warranting reinvestigation of 1961 plane crash that killed Dag Hammarskjold, former UN Secretary General, in area of Southern Africa that was then known as Northern Rhodesia; reports plane may have been target of air attack or other interference. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

Saturday Profile of Zainab Bangura, who as United Nations special envoy for sexual violence in conflict documents abuses against women across world. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

United Nations reports that nearly 1,500 Iraqis were killed while battling Islamic State in June, up more than 40 percent from May. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

Saudi-led military coalition is facing rising pressure as it tries to stop Houthi rebels in Yemen; United Nations is poised to declare country in severe humanitarian crisis and human rights group say situation may involve of war crimes; diplomats say military blockage on commercial ships is choking supply of food and fuel into poorest nation in Arab world. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

United Nations Security Council unanimously votes to keep peacekeeping troops in Sudan's Darfur region for at least one more year; fails to reach consensus on how to expedite arrest of Pres Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who is charged by International Criminal Court with genocide and crimes against humanity. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

Gennadiy Gatilov, deputy Russian foreign minister, rejects calls from Netherlands, Malaysia and other countries for establishment of United Nations tribunal to prosecute those responsible for shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight in Ukraine. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

Op-Ed article by former British forces commander Richard Kemp faults United Nations Human Rights Council report for laying blame for 2014 Gaza conflict on Israel's shoulders; charges report presents presumption of guilt based on flawed evidence and demonstrates little understanding of warfare; contends report's recommendation to immediately lift blockade of Gaza would result in further bloodshed on both sides of conflict. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

United Nations Commission of Inquiry report faults both Israel and Palestinians for violating international law in 2014 Gaza War; Israelis condemn report as evidence of UN bias against them while Hamas dismisses condemnation of its own actions and says report supports prosecution of Israel in International Criminal Court. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Former Canadian Justice Marie Deschamps will lead independent panel investigating how United Nations handled inquiry into accusations that French peacekeepers sexually abused children in Central African Republic. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Editorial highlights findings of report issued by United Nations Human Rights Council commission that found both Israel and Palestinian militants guilty of violations of international humanitarian law during 2014 war in Gaza Strip; notes report said violations were possibly war crimes; suggests that Israel should try to comply with international law, even if Hamas is unlikely to adhere to it. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports war and persecution has resulted in record total number 59.5 million people displaced from their homes by the end of 2014; annual report notes almost 14 million people were newly displaced in the year; findings underscore degree to which less wealthy nations in world have borne brunt of burden of refugees. MORE

Jun. 17, 2015

Independent panel appointed by United Nations Sec Gen Ban Ki-moon to evaluate structure and performance of UN peacekeeping operations recommends holding soldiers more accountable for sexual abuse and other crimes; also urges they no longer be used in counterterrorism deployments. MORE

Jun. 15, 2015

Israel's Foreign Ministry issues paper blaming Palestinian militants for most casualties incurred during 2014 war with Israel and arguing that Israeli soldiers adhered to international law in conflict; paper comes as preemptive strike against United Nations report on war in Gaza. MORE

Jun. 14, 2015

Editorial laments the lack of international action to address worldwide refugee crisis, about which United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will release report underscoring severity of crisis; calls on United States and other developed countries to shoulder more of the burden that refugees have placed on developing countries. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

United Nations officials say some of 65 Asian migrants who arrived in Indonesia after being intercepted by Australian authorities tell refugee workers that Australians paid smugglers to take them to Indonesia; report has raised questions about hard-line immigration policies that helped Australian Prime Min Tony Abbott win election in 2013. MORE

Jun. 12, 2015

United Nations World Food Program will make temporary 30 percent cut in rations distributed to refugees in northern Kenyan camps, third time it has had to reduce Kenyan rations since 2013, in effort to conserve dwindling supplies and funding. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

United Nations officials report large number of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan arriving at Greek island of Lesbos are straining resources of small tourist island; note arrivals have grown steadily by month in 2015, from 737 in January to more than 7,200 in May. MORE

Jun. 9, 2015

United Nations Sec Gen Ban Ki-moon, under pressure from United States and Israel and in opposition to advice of senior envoy Leila Zerrougui, chooses to omit both Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas from list of armies and guerrilla groups that harm children; list is part of annual report on children's rights violations that includes information on children who were killed and injured by both groups. MORE

Jun. 9, 2015

United National negotiators present proposal to form unity government to Libya's two rival governments in effort to end fighting between their military forces; plan calls for council of ministers headed by prime minister based in Tripoli. MORE

Jun. 4, 2015

United Nations announces it will create independent panel to investigate allegations by New York-based advocacy group AIDS-Free World that French peacekeepers sexually abused children in Central African Republic. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

United Nations alerts heavy fighting in South Sudan has displaced more than 100,000 people and blocked aid deliveries to 650,000. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

Editorial criticizes United States and other nuclear powers for squandering United Nations disarmament conference in May; regrets dispute between Egypt and Israel that seemed to derail negotiations over weapons-free zone in the Middle East; notes deteriorating relations between US and Russia have stalled efforts to further reduce arsenals in both countries, making it more difficult to argue for restraint in smaller nuclear powers. MORE

Jun. 2, 2015

Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, United Nations high commissioner for human rights, calls on several African member states to prosecute allegations of abuses by peacekeeping troops they had sent to Central African Republic in 2013. MORE

Jun. 2, 2015

United Nations reports at least 6,417 people have been killed and 16,000 injured since start of conflict in eastern Ukraine; says both Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists continue to commit abuses that could be considered war crimes. MORE

May. 30, 2015

Advocacy group AIDS-Free World publishes leaked United Nations documents that group says point to a wider awareness among senior UN human rights officials that French soldiers sexually abused children in Central African Republic than was previously thought; also accuses officials of a cover up. MORE

May. 29, 2015

United Nations adopts resolution intended to combat plundering of antiquities by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. MORE

May. 28, 2015

Britain's former Prime Min Tony Blair informs United Nations he will resign as special Middle East envoy at end of June 2015, position he has held since 2007. MORE

May. 28, 2015

United Nations' annual hunger report shows global hunger in decline, despite spike in population growth; finds that 72 of 129 nations monitored by Food and Agricultural Organization have achieved Millennium Development goal of cutting percentage of hungry people in their populations in half. MORE

May. 26, 2015

Memo From the United Nations; internal audit by United Nations Office of Internal Oversight sheds light on issue of rape and child sexual abuse allegations against peacekeepers; highlights problems including bureaucracy, UN's lack of authority to prosecute soldiers, and fact that most common punishment for sex offenses is to return soldiers to home countries and bar them from future missions. MORE

May. 26, 2015

United Nations member states agree to World Health Organization plan for addressing problem of antibiotic-resistant superbugs; plan emphasizes development of new antibiotics, surveillance of resistance and better control of existing drugs. MORE

May. 21, 2015

Memo from the United Nations; European Union announces plans to seize and dispose of any boats being used to smuggle migrants across Mediterranean sea; critics say policy goes against international law by denying escape for refugees seeking political asylum; EU leaders are seeking approval by United Nations Security Council for seizure and disposal of boats, and vow to abide by international convention on refugees in process. MORE

May. 20, 2015

United Nations Sec Gen Ban Ki-moon says North Korea has suddenly withdrawn its approval for him to enter country to visit an industrial park that South Korea jointly operates with the North. MORE

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